Write On talks with legendary TV writer Marta Kauffmann about the highly anticipated Friends reunion and what makes the show still resonate today. "I think these characters [are] incredibly loveable, and you'd love to hang out with them and have a beer with them and invite them into your home. The show is kind of warm and cozy, and I don't know that that goes out of style."

 

Marta also talks about her approach to showrunning and how to get the best out of writers. "The best way to lead is by collaborating, and as a showrunner, I feel like one of my jobs is I'm like the camp mom where everybody in the production camp are my campers; they're my kids, and I have a responsibility to make sure that they are happy doing this job. I work really hard for a happy crew."

 

Solos is a dramatic anthology series created by David Weil and produced by Amazon. The series features stars such as Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway and Helen Mirren, among others. David talks to Write On about the genesis of the project: “Solos was born out of a time of great disconnection and loneliness and solitude. I always wanted to tell a story that returned me to the origins of how I fell in love with storytelling.”

 

David takes us through his career and the long journey from writing his first spec to becoming the creator of the Amazon Prime series Hunters. “All of the no’s will one day lead to a yes. I can't tell you how many no’s I had in the ten years it took from moving out to LA to then getting Hunters made… every script that is passed on will one day have its moment.”

 

Pete Goldfinger is no stranger to the Saw franchise, having previously penned Jigsaw about the eponymous villain of the series. He talks to Write On about servicing the fanbase and what it’s like to craft the set pieces the franchise is known for. "We always do the traps last… even though that's often the featured thing that you'll see in the trailers, mostly what we try to do, in our dreams, is more of a Usual Suspects kind of whodunit-y suspense sort of thing."

 

Pete also delves into his own writing process and rituals. "Every Monday when I'm working on a project, no matter what, I read the entire project from the beginning. You might find new things that inspire you, that will help you, and then you're always on top of everything so you know what you're writing about."

 

‘Blackjack’ is the story of Brooklyn-native street basketball legend Jackie Ryan. Writer Antonio Macia is a self-proclaimed ‘basketball junkie’ who says writing this film was a dream come true. "The story takes place in the world of street ball and basketball, but it's really not about that. It's really about a young man trying to find his way, trying to deal with his family dynamics, trying to get out of his own way."

 

Antonio talks about how he molded this true-life sports biopic. "I was able to work with Jackie [Ryan] quite a bit. I spent time with him, did extensive interviews talking to him about different periods in his life, and he definitely read over different drafts and would help navigate certain things. He was such a great resource because he was very open and vulnerable, especially dealing with his low points in his life."

 

Feral State is the story of a misfit gang of runaways and orphans who are taken in by a dark and charismatic father figure and together wreak havoc throughout swamps and trailer parks in central Florida. Writer-Director Jon Carlo talks to Write On about how the film came about: “Location was the starting point for everything. This movie came about in such an untraditional kind of way where the money was there first before there even was a script, and part of the stipulations was to shoot in a specific area in Florida, so I went down to meet the producers and kind of scope out the scene, and the story kind of grew organically out of what I was seeing in the community.”

 

Jon talks about his background as an actor, applying to the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and how hard work is the key to a successful career. “I think the one thing that I’ve learned that I think is the most important lesson is you have to do the work. There is no easy way around: you can’t just scribble something down and hope that it’s good. You have to write and rewrite religiously until it’s there.”

 

Entertainment career coach, author, speaker, CBS Writing and WGA Showrunner Training Program director Carole Kirschner talks to Write On about mentorships, fellowships and training opportunities for writers and showrunners. “You cannot teach somebody how to be a showrunner in six Saturdays, but what you can do is…  give an idea of what to expect."

 

Carole breaks down the role of the showrunner and what it takes to be in charge of a TV show. “The job [of a showrunner] is all-consuming, and throughout, people say, 'This is an impossible job, this is a huge job, this is a terrible job, this is a big job,' and so I always have to say, 'Well, why would anybody do it then?' And then you hear the great parts about how wonderful it is to have a group of people create something together, how satisfying it is, how wonderful it is to be the person who gets to say, 'Yeah, we're gonna do it this way.'"